Chocolate Peanut Butter Truffle Pie is pure indulgence. And what better time to treat yourself to a nutty dessert than on Fat Tuesday, the day before the Lent season begins and than the last day of the Carnival season. But don’t feel too guilty because everytime you use peanuts in recipes you are supporting a Florida farmer. Peanuts are the 12th most valuable cash crop grown in the United States with a farm value of over $1 billion dollars. Seven states account for almost all peanuts grown in the U.S. Georgia, Alabama, Florida and Mississippi grow the major proportion of all peanuts followed by Texas, North Carolina, Virginia, and Oklahoma.

Pepper, Mushroom and Potato Salad (Photo courtesy of the Mushroom Council and mushroominfo.com)

Pepper, Mushroom and Potato Salad is an easy side for grilling menus. All Florida bell peppers come from the same vine but offer a different flavor depending on when they are picked. A green bell pepper is picked before it’s fully ripe. Left on the vine to ripen, a green pepper becomes an orange or yellow pepper with a fruitier flavor. If left on the vine even longer, the yellow bell pepper turns red and sweet!

1. Preheat grill. While grill heats, boil water and blanch potato cubes for 5 minutes, then cut in half and set aside.2. In a large mixing bowl, whisk together oil, vinegar, mustard, rosemary and salt. Add mushrooms, potatoes and pepper pieces and toss to coat, then skewer individually, to create four skewers of each ingredient.3. Reserve the remaining marinade and grill vegetables until tender, turning once, about five to ten minutes total.4. Split lettuce between four plates and place one of each skewer on top; drizzle with reserved marinade and serve either warm or cold.
Recipe courtesy of the Mushroom Council and mushroominfo.com

Roasted Radishes with Orange and Rosemary is a great showcase for a quick-growing Florida crop. This vegetable goes from seed to edible plant in just 25 days. In the United States, radishes are typically eaten raw; however, they can be added to cooked dishes or served whole. While the root of the radish is the most popular part for cooking, the leaves and stem can prepared like other leafy greens.

1. Preheat oven to 400F. Line a baking pan with foil and set aside.2. In a large bowl, toss radishes with olive oil and rosemary. Place on baking pan and sprinkle with salt.3. Roast radishes for about 25-30 minutes until tender and lightly browned in spots.
Remove from oven and cool slightly.4. Serve warm with orange slices.SOURCE: Duda Farm Fresh Foods

The more the merrier in Heather’s Florida Kitchen! That’s why I have teamed with the fabulous folks over at Orlando’s WOMX Mix 105.1 to offer the morning show’s Recipe of the Week. Today’s recipe is Chicken Thighs Braised with Spring Leeks, Carrots and Tarragon. Chicken is the little black dress of protein — it’s always in style and goes with everything. Every Thursday, you can find more recipes exclusively for Mix 105.1’s Morning Mix here and at the radio station’s website.

1. Preheat oven to 350F. Season chicken with salt and pepper. In large oven-proof sauté pan with a tight fitting lid, heat olive oil and butter over medium until butter is melted. Add chicken and sauté for 6-7 minutes, or until browned. Turn and repeat.2. Add leeks and carrots and cook, stirring well, for another 1-2 minutes. Add tarragon and chicken stock. Bring liquid to a boil, remove from heat and cover. Place pan in oven and braise for about 40 minutes, or until an instant read thermometer inserted in the chicken registers 170F.3. Remove pan from oven. Place chicken and vegetables on a platter and cover with foil. Bring liquid in braising pan to a boil on stovetop. Boil and reduce for about 5 minutes. Add cream and stir for another minute. Return chicken and vegetables to sauté pan and gently stir to combine, spooning over chicken. To serve, arrange chicken and vegetables on platter and spoon sauce over.Recipe note: Serve with brown rice, quinoa, or couscous if desired.SOURCE: National Chicken Council

Strawberry Margaritas are the perfect Florida toast to National Margarita Day. Plant City, Fla., is recognized worldwide as the Winter Strawberry Capital of the World. There are approximately 8,000 acres of strawberries grown in Florida, the second largest producing region in the U.S. Strawberries provide essential nutrients and minerals including fiber, potassium, vitamin C and powerful antioxidants. I say cheers to that!

1. Place four 8-ounce glasses in freezer.2. Place strawberries, tequila, limeade concentrate, and triple sec in the jar of a blender.3. Blend until all ingredients are thoroughly combined. Add ice and blend until liquid is smooth.4. Serve immediately in chilled glasses.SOURCE: Mo’nique’s “Never Trust a Skinny Cook” via marthastewart.com

Tomato Linguine Saute is a quick and simple way to celebrate the harvest of a key Florida crop. Tomatoes are primarily grown in Collier, Dade, Gadsden, Hendry, Hillsborough, Lee, Manatee and Palm Beach counties. Botanically, the tomato is a fruit—legally it’s considered a vegetable. Store tomatoes at room temperature, out of their packaging and never in the refrigerator. Choose tomatoes that are plump and shiny and that give slightly when you apply pressure.

1. Wash and rinse tomatoes. Dry, core and cut in half. Use a spoon to remove most of the seeds and coarsely chop. Add chopped tomatoes to a colander, sprinkle with a few pinches of salt and let them sit so they can release some of their water (about half an hour). This can be done ahead.2. Combine drained tomatoes, olive oil, lemon zest, lemon juice and garlic in a large sauté pan. Heat over low heat to warm the mixture, not cook it.3. Bring a large saucepan filled with water to a boil. Add the pasta and cook 10 to 12 minutes. Drain and add to a large bowl. Spoon tomato mixture on top. Add the basil and Parmesan. Sprinkle with salt and pepper to taste. Serve warm.Source: Fresh From Florida & Chef Justin Timineri.

The more the merrier in Heather’s Florida Kitchen! That’s why I have teamed with the fabulous folks over at Orlando’s WOMX Mix 105.1 to offer the morning show’s Recipe of the Week. Today’s recipe is Peanut Butter Chicken Enchiladas. Seven states account for almost all peanuts grown in the U.S. Georgia, Alabama, Florida and Mississippi grow the major proportion of all peanuts followed by Texas, North Carolina, Virginia, and Oklahoma. Florida is known for the runner variety, which is used to make peanut butter. Every Thursday, you can find more recipes exclusively for Mix 105.1’s Morning Mix here and at the radio station’s website.

1. Preheat the oven to 425F.2. Whisk the taco sauce with the peanut butter; stir in the chilies. Toss all but 1 cup of the sauce with the shredded chicken. Spoon chicken into tortillas and fold to enclose.3. Arrange the rolled tortillas, seam side down, in a 9-by-13-inch casserole dish. Stir lime juice into the reserved sauce mixture. Pour the sauce down the center of the casserole dish; sprinkle with cheddar cheese. Bake for 20 minutes or until heated through.4. Toss the queso fresco with the peanuts, cilantro and red onion. Scatter over the top of the casserole.SOURCE: Peanutbutterlovers.com

The more the merrier in Heather’s Florida Kitchen! That’s why I have teamed with the fabulous folks over at Orlando’s WOMX Mix 105.1 to offer the morning show’s Recipe of the Week. Today’s recipe is Squash and Tomato Gratin. Florida tomatoes are harvested from October to June. Florida squash can be found in markets from October through May. Together they make a colorful side dish perfect for any occasion. Every Thursday, you can find more recipes exclusively for Mix 105.1’s Morning Mix here and at the radio station’s website.

1. Preheat oven to 350F. Lightly oil an 8-inch square baking dish.2. Evenly spread the garlic, shallots and basil in the bottom of the dish. Season with salt and pepper.3. Place the yellow squash, zucchini and tomatoes in upright alternating layers, repeating until all the vegetables are used. Sprinkle the top with the cheese, then the breadcrumbs. Drizzle lightly with olive oil.4. Bake for 20 to 25 minutes, until the vegetables are tender. If the breadcrumbs brown too much, loosely shield the top of the pan with foil. Let stand for 5 minutes before serving.Recipe note: Sometimes the juices can be become quite watery in the dish and I find that varies from season to season. To avoid, you can pre-cook the squash by lightly steaming and letting dry completely on paper towels before assembling. Also, salting the produce as it dries on the paper towel for 10 minutes (see ingredient list) will release liquid as well.SOURCE: Florida Department of Agriculture and Consumer Services and the Florida Tomato Committee

Tangerine and Vegetable Stir Fry is a quick and easy weeknight meal. The secret to all stir-fry recipes is prepping the ingredients ahead of time so everything is ready to go. Once the wok is ready to roll, this meal is on the table fast. Florida is the top producer of tangerines in the United States, according to the Florida Department of Agriculture and Consumer Services. Shoppers looking to source ingredients from state growers should look for tangerines in markets from September to April. Store tangerines for up to two weeks in the vegetable drawer of the refrigerator. Plastic bags or film-wrapped trays should not be used when storing citrus.

1. Using a microplane carefully remove 1 teaspoon zest (outer colored part of the peel) from 1 tangerine; set aside. Peel zested tangerine, discard peel and remove segments from membranes setting remaining fruit aside in a bowl. Peel 3 remaining tangerines, remove segments from membranes and add to same bowl. With a sharp knife cut long strips from one of the tangerine peels and carefully scrape away any pith, set aside. Discard all remaining peels.2. In a medium bowl combine tangerine juice and zest, rice vinegar, tamari, cornstarch, ginger, and 1 teaspoon sesame oil. Transfer 1/4 cup mixture to a separate bowl, add beef and toss to coat. Set aside remaining juice mixture.3. Heat canola oil and remaining 1 teaspoon sesame oil in a large wok or heavy skillet over medium-high. Add tangerine peel strips and cook 20-30 seconds, being careful not to burn. You just want the essential oils to release and the edges to brown slightly. Add beef mixture and cook, stirring, 2 to 3 minutes. Remove beef and juices to a bowl, cover, and keep warm.4. Add 1/4 cup water to the wok and bring to a simmer. Stir in broccoli, snow peas, red bell pepper, and white and light green parts of green onion. Reduce heat to medium and cover. Cook 5 minutes, or until vegetables are crisp-tender, stirring once. Transfer vegetables to bowl with beef.5. Whisk remaining juice mixture and add to wok. Bring to a boil and boil 1 minute, stirring. Add beef and vegetables back to wok along with tangerine segments. Stir to coat and heat through.6. Serve with brown rice and garnish with dark green parts of sliced green onions.
SOURCE: ADAPTED FROM WHOLE FOODS MARKET

Food writer and cookbook author

Heather McPherson is a former food editor, restaurant reviewer and multimedia journalist for the Orlando Sentinel.
She handles press and media for Chef Art Smith’s Florida Homecomin’ Kitchen and Splitsville Luxury Lanes at Disney Springs and is the Central Florida director of new business and development for RockawayPR.
A past president of the Association of Food Journalists, she serves on the AFJ conference planning committee. She provides food content for the Florida Dairy Farmers, EdibleOrlando, hypeorlando.com (“Heather’s Florida Kitchen”), PrimeTime Kitchen (with Jim Colbert) on Real Radio 104.1, and Orlando's Morning Mix on Mix 105.1 FM.
The author of three cookbooks, she has co-written five others and edited three cookbooks. Her latest works are “Mojito” (publishing in 2018), “Field to Feast: Recipes Celebrating Florida’s Farmers, Chefs, and Artisans” and “Good Catch: Recipes & Stories Celebrating the Best of Florida's Waters” both with Pam Brandon and Katie Farmand (all three University Press of Florida).
She earned a Bachelor of Science in Journalism from the College of Journalism and Communication at the University of Florida and was honored with the college’s Emig Award, given to the student the faculty believes will contribute the most to the state of Florida through journalistic pursuits. Born Indianapolis, Ind., she and husband artist Spencer Pettit live in Mount Dora, where she serves on the Lake Cares Food Pantry Board of Directors. In 2016 she was elected to the Board of Trustees of the Marjorie Kinnan Rawlings Society.